An Irish woman is hitting the high notes at the world’s most famous recording studios.
Dubliner Isabel Garvey is Managing Director at the studio made famous by the Beatles - Abbey Road Recording Studio.
Now the UCD commerce graduate is running the studio and has almost doubled turnover and tripled profits in just four years.
The successful business woman’s domain includes the largest recording studio in the world - Studio One where film hits such as Skyfall and The Lord of the Rings were recorded.
The site is also home to Studio Two - The Beatles Studio, where the band recorded some 190 of their 210 songs and has also hosted Ed Sheeran and Adele.
Ms Garvey told the Sunday Business Post that the pianos at the studios are decades old and have been used by many famous musicians.
“John Lennon left cigarette burns on the Steinway honky-tonk one that we call Mrs Millis”, she said.
“Lady Madonna was played on that, and more recently Paul McCartney used it for his album Egypt Station."
Abbey Road’s sound is so renowned, that some music moguls can even identify whether a song was recorded at the studios.
Since she arrived at the studios in 2014 , Ms Garvey has been involved in the multi million pound development of the studios maintaining standards and improving accessibility.
While recording in the older studios costs thousands for a single day’s work, the new Front Room is somewhat more affordable studio at £500 per day.
The 43-year-old began working for the studio after having previously worked for entertainment companies EMI and Warner.
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After college she worked for an investment bank for three years where she was “working all the hours God gave” on no sleep.
Although she is being surrounded by the best the music industry has to offer on a daily basis, Ms Garvey said that “disgracefully” she is not musical despite coming from a talented family.
“My grandfather and sister were and are incredible pianists so it didn’t quite make it into my genes”, she said.
She said that while artists are often in “work mode” when they arrive that “very occasionally” she would have a glass of wine with them after they finished up for the day.
The studio director said that media reports on the manufacturing of pop music meant that we often underestimate artists.
“When you meet them and see and hear their raw talent that’s also quite something”, she said.
